Twisted Destiny
by mysticalflute
Summary: Two wishes collide, which sets off a chain reaction that twists the destiny of everyone in the Enchanted Forest, but no one moreso than Princess Emma of Misthaven. (No-curse Swanfire AU)
1. Prologue

Rumplestiltskin hummed as he frantically wrote down the name of the princess on his sheet of parchment in his prison cell. Emma. Emma. Emma. _Emma_.

Oh of course he knew he could escape any time he wanted, and that was exactly the case: He didn't want to. He was exactly where he needed to be when the Dark Curse was cast.

"Someday my prince will come…" he sang quietly as he wrote, giggling madly. It was so nice of Snow White and Charming to allow him things to write on while he was in here. He was so excited that the curse was going to be cast soon. He would be well on his way to getting Baelfire back His Bae.

His Bae. Soon, soon, _soon_.

He gasped then, suddenly overwhelmed with a vision, and the quill and parchment dropped to the ground, his eyes closing as the vision pulled through.

 _"Your wish was to go to where you belonged, Baelfire, and I granted it to you,"_ a fairy was saying, looking down at Baelfire and some other blurry figures with him. But they weren't important. What was important was that Baelfire was _here_ , in the Enchanted Forest. Or he _would_ be, eventually. Which meant the curse –which was only a few days from being cast – was going to be unnecessary.

His eyes widened with realization. He needed to find a way to stop Regina.

"Hey… HEY! GUARDS!" he shouted, trying to get the guard's attention. He could escape. But where would be the fun in that? He liked tormenting the guards as if he were some sort of weak puppet. However… as no guard was coming, it appeared that Rumplestiltskin was going to have to take matters into his own hands. This was a _very_ pressing matter after all.

Letting out a giggle, he disappeared from the cell in a puff of smoke, making sure to land squarely in the War Room. Perfect.

"You!" Charming shouted from his seat, everyone was on their feet in an instant, and Rumplestiltskin did nothing to defend himself. Why bother? It wasn't like any of their weapons could hurt him.

"Ah-ah! I wouldn't attack me if I were you, dearies. I have very important news. I have seen the future. And it is _drastically_ changed from what I told you before."

"Is it Emma? Is she going to be okay?" Snow White asked immediately. Rumplestiltskin was glad for her, frankly. She could sense the urgency in his voice.

He held up his hands to show he meant no harm to her husband and the others seated at the table. "Your daughter is going to be more than fine, your majesty. For I foresaw you both raising her… here, in the Enchanted Forest. Safe from harm," he said. Okay, so he was lying about the vision, but stopping the curse would mean Emma would be raised here, right?

"The curse won't happen?" Charming asked in surprise, his face softening at the realization of what it meant.

"No, it will not."

A sob escaped the princess, and the prince rushed to console her, his sword clattering to the ground.

"Well, I should leave you alone to gather your thoughts," the imp said. He was feeling anxious now. They needed to get ready, immediately. "I will need your help to trap Regina. I'll let you know when."

"At what price?" one of the dwarves grumbled.

Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "No price this time. I swear." Not when this benefitted him as well as the rest of the residents of the Enchanted Forest. "You just worry about yourselves and keep Snow White healthy for the arrival of the little princess."

There was still a stress in the air, but it had faded somewhat at the news he'd brought them.

"Rumplestiltskin?" Charming suddenly asked as the imp turned to walk away.

"Yes dearie?" he asked with a small giggle.

"Thank you. Whatever it is you need us to do… we'll do it."

Rumplestiltskin could only give the man a curt nod before vanishing from the room.

There was much they needed to do to stop Regina. Well, not a whole lot, but enough that he required help.

The first stop was to the well where he'd trapped poor Prince Thomas. He figured that little Ella had learned her lesson – and as he'd broken out of the prison Snow and Charming had put him in for his crimes, well, rectifying them was probably a good idea.

Although, looking at Thomas as he clambered out of the well gave Rumplestiltskin an idea. Smirking, he vanished back to the castle.

"I have an idea. Squid ink."

"Squid ink?" Snow White (who had recovered from her brief hysterics) asked with a frown.

He nodded. "Yes. You see, I have some in my cell. I was using it to prepare a loophole for the curse – for little Emma, but now… I can put it back in the jar and use it to strengthen the bars of the cell so no magic can be used inside of it. Personally, I believe that's the sort of cell she should have been in to begin with but…" he waved his hand casually. Now was not the time to think of past regrets.

"Why are you willing to help us stop the curse?" Charming asked, his eyes still full of distrust that Rumplestiltskin couldn't blame him for.

"Because it will benefit us all. That world we were supposed to be sent to? It's a land without magic. A land without hope. A land where we wouldn't know who we are. Knowing Regina, you and your princess wouldn't even be together. Why wouldn't I want to stop something like that?" he explained. "Now… I shall be in my cell. Your majesty, I expect you and the guards to be in the tunnel leading to that cell in one hour. She'll be here then, and it wouldn't do any good if she saw you."

Rumplestiltskin vanished back into the cell he'd been locked in. Regina would come to him asking for his help in casting the curse, and he needed to be there. And then… he would strike. Going over to the parchment, Rumplestiltskin carefully lifted the ink up and off the parchment, before pouring it back into the bottle, stopping it and sliding it in his sleeve.

He giggled in utter delight as scaly fingers wrapped around the bars of the cell. Regina would be here soon. Soon soon _soon_. Oh, but perhaps he shouldn't be looking too eager at the thought of her visit, so he pulled away from the bars and climbed back onto the ceiling with a giggle.

Finally, Rumplestiltskin heard the tell tale sign of Regina's presence. A rat disguise. How clever of her to use that to slip past the guards.

"So kind of you to visit me, dearie," he said with a giggle. "What seems to be the problem?"

"My curse didn't cast," she said, with just a hint of a petulant, whiny child who didn't get her way. "Why?"

"Well, did you do everything I told you? Right down to the heart?" he asked curiously, as if actually pondering what could have possibly gone wrong.

"Of course I did. I used the heart of my prized steer."

He cackled and launched himself at her, grabbing her throat. "You're a fool, Regina! A curse like that doesn't need the heart of a steer. It needs the hear t of the thing you love most."

She coughed as Rumplestiltskin gestured for the guards to slowly start creeping forward behind her back. "That is the thing I love most!"

He could only titter. "Is it really, dearie?"

She froze at his insinuation. "Wait… do you mean…"

Another giggle escaped him. "Exactly. You know what you need to do…"

He could sense her anger and frustration, and it was then that he snapped his fingers, switching their positions, much to her shock.

"What – what did you do?!" Regina shrieked as Rumplestiltskin shattered the battle of squid ink, watching as the cell glowed for a moment.

"I did what was right," he replied with a casual shrug. "You see, the future changed, dearie. This is how your story ends."

"No! This can't be! I have to cast my curse and get my revenge on Snow White!" Regina screamed as the guards and Charming stormed into the room. "You can't do this to me! After everything we've done for each other, how can you do this to me?!"

"I'm doing what's best for the majority, not the few," Rumplestiltskin said, shrugging casually. "Besides, dearie. Who says you won't be happy here?"

Regina growled as Charming stepped up next to him. "Not so fun being trapped behind bars now, is it?" he asked with a smirk. "Snow gave you a chance to redeem yourself, and instead you throw it in our faces by attempting to cast a curse on this land. We did all we could to give you a second chance, and you didn't take it. Now you pay the price for it."

"And when are you going to pay for what you've done to me?"

"Snow did nothing to you that warrants something like this. Whatever she did, she's already paid for."

Rumplestiltskin couldn't argue with that. Snow White had simply told a secret. It was unfortunate that the stable boy died, but Snow White certainly didn't deserve that curse. The guilt Rumplestiltskin knew she carried with her was a high price – and something she would be carrying with her for much longer than twenty-eight years.

"We're going now," Charming said, his eyes narrowed as the guards turned to head back to the palace. "Dinner will be served to you in an hour."

Rumplestiltskin followed the prince and the guards, now unsure of where his place was. He had to wait for Baelfire, he knew that much. But every deal he'd made, every person he'd interacted with, had been for the curse. Now the puzzle he'd so carefully tried to piece together was unnecessary. He wasn't sure what he should do.

"So… now what?" he asked Charming as they left the mine.

Charming looked over at him. "I need to talk with Snow about it, but I want to go to her palace and make sure no one is being held captive there. We did last time but I still can't help but feel like we missed something."

Rumplestiltskin frowned. He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that.

"Would you mind if I… came with you?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "If magic is involved perhaps I can undo the spell."

Charming nodded. "That would be much appreciated. Thank you."

Rumplestiltskin flicked his wrist, and the group vanished in a cloud of smoke to Regina's palace.

"You! What are you doing here? With Prince James?! And where is my daughter?" Prince Henry asked, his eyes wide in bewilderment.

"Regina is a prisoner in my palace after attempting to curse us all to an unknown land," Charming said. "And now we're going to search this castle to make sure no one else is stuck here as a prisoner."

"You did this last time. She hasn't taken anyone else hostage!" Henry protested. "But why must she be a prisoner again?"

"Because when I did, she attempted to curse us. I understand you're her father but she is called the Evil Queen for a reason," Charming replied. "She could have killed us all in the process."

"Mm, I'm not sure about that, but she definitely would have killed Henry over there," Rumplestiltskin giggled, wagging his fingers at the man as the guards fanned out of the room.

Henry blanched, but said nothing.

"Now please, can we go make sure there's no one else here?" Charming asked. Rumplestiltskin wasn't sure why he was insisting on using manners now, but he didn't question it.

Henry nodded weakly.

"Your majesty!" one of the guards called as they toured the castle's towers. "I think I can feel magic from this doorway!"

Rumplestiltskin followed Charming up to the tower and nodded. "Oh yes yes yes, there is magic on here. Stand back, I can get it undone."

Waiting for the guard and prince to get to a safer area, Rumplestiltskin carefully began undoing the spell on the door. For Regina, it was a complicated spell surprisingly enough. Whoever – or whatever – was in here was something he knew she'd wanted to keep a secret.

He nodded once to the guard, who carefully opened the door.

"Miss? It's okay. You're safe now," he said, as Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow. So there was a woman in there. "Come with me."

And then, like a dream, out came a shaken, but very much alive, Belle.

"You're alive…" he whispered, his voice hoarse from surprise. "She… she told me you were dead! Oh Belle…" he whispered, staring at the woman as if afraid she would vanish into thin air.

"Rumplestiltskin? What are you doing here? What's going on?"

He found his voice as she ran up to him with wide, fearful eyes. "Regina said you were dead. But you needn't worry about her now. She's a prisoner now."

"What do you mean? What happened?" she asked.

"This man – Prince David – and his guards. They're the ones that found you. If he hadn't given the order to come here you would have…" Rumplestiltskin shook his head, unable to finish his sentence. He knew Belle would understand what he meant.

She looked at David then. "Thank you. I don't know how I can make it up to you."

But David only shook his head. "Think nothing of it. I am just glad we found you. I apologize it took us until Regina fell the second time to get you out of here."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you did," Belle said.

Rumplestiltskin swallowed the knot in his throat. "I think I shall take you to your father, Belle. To let him know you are okay. Regina tried to spread the rumor that you killed yourself."

Belle's eyes widened in horror. "She did what? Then yes, I must go home quickly!"

"Okay. I'll take you home. I'm sure this will be a flicker of life in an ocean of darkness," Rumplestiltskin said, eyes darting to Charming, who's eyes had gone wide before he waved his hand, Charming and the guards vanishing back to their palace before Rumplestiltskin took Belle gently by the arm and vanished in a cloud of smoke to her father.

Baelfire was going to be back soon, and now he had Belle. Perhaps a happy ending was going to be possible for the Dark One after all.


	2. Lovely Arrivals

Red could only wince as Snow's cry of pain echoed down the hallway. She hated that her friend was in so much pain, but, Red knew, at least they didn't have to worry about Regina's curse causing trouble for them. At least now Snow and Charming could raise little Emma as they'd hoped.

But still, Red couldn't stand the cries she heard coming out of Snow and Charming's bedroom… and she was downstairs in the war room with Happy.

"I can't imagine what sort of things you must be hearing right now, Red," Happy remarked, looking decidedly less-than his name would imply as he looked at her in concern.

Red shook her head. "It'll be okay. At least I know her screams are because of something good and not because Regina or George's soldiers have found her," she replied with a shrug and a wince as another cry pierced her sensitive ears.

"This is why I'm glad dwarves are hatched," Sleepy said as he came into the room. "That way, we don't have to hear our friend scream in pain."

"You – _what_?!" Red questioned. She hadn't known how dwarves were born but now she was certain she hadn't wanted to. And now she had multiple other questions that she _definitely_ didn't want to know the answer to.

"Oh yeah!" Happy piped up, "Dwarves are hatched by – "

Red held up her hand. "You know what? I'm good. I don't need to know how it works."

It was then that the doors to the war room opened with a flourish, and Red was on her feet in an instant as a soldier dressed in unfamiliar armor stormed into the room brandishing a sword, their face hidden aside from a pair of eyes that burned with determination.

"Um… who are you?" Red asked, quirking a dark eyebrow at the soldier.

"I heard the screams as we were pulling up to the palace. What's going on here?" came the muffled voice.

Red snorted. "Nothing is going on. Snow's in labor, that's all," she said with a laugh.

"That's… all?" the soldier asked. Red still couldn't tell if it was male or female, even with her wolf hearing.

"Yes. That's all. I swear. Trust me, I would know if there was a threat in the castle. Now… you must be from the Wei Empire. Snow and Charming told me your emperor would be visiting today."

The soldier shrugged as a tall man walked into the room, an amused smile on his face. "What was that proverb I told you about rushing to judgment now, Mulan?"

The warrior – Mulan – shrugged. "I just wanted to keep you safe, your highness."

The emperor chuckled. "I am aware, but if you'd waited for the man next to me to explain the situation, you would have known we were in no danger from a woman giving birth."

"I'm sorry that Snow and David won't be able to attend your meeting. We weren't expecting her to go into labor today," Grumpy said as the emperor took a seat at the table.

The emperor smiled at the angry dwarf. "Do not concern yourself with it. I know that babies are ready when they are ready."

The soldier finally seemed comfortable enough to remove the helmet, and it was with a bit of surprise that Ruby took in a woman.

A very pretty woman.

"And what is your name, young lady?" the Emperor asked, looking at Red curiously. "Not many people are brave enough to stand up to Mulan like that."

"Oh. My name is Red, sir. I'm Snow's most trusted advisor."

"Ah. That explains why you didn't seem nervous around Mulan. Most people get nervous when they meet her."

Red could see Mulan's face twist into annoyance at the Emperor's words, but she could only shrug. "After everything we went through with Regina, there isn't much that scares me anymore," she replied.

"You think Regina is terrifying? Try fighting thousands of Huns that just kept coming and coming," Mulan said with a eye roll.

Red scoffed. "Try being hunted because you're a werewolf. Try dealing with a witch who knew how to do magic and could stop you at every turn."

"Oh please."

"I'm just saying, if the Huns were magic-wielders you'd have a point. One Regina was harder to deal with than ten Huns," Red replied with a shrug, adjusting her cloak. "Not to mention the curse she was going to cast on us. When the Huns could do something like that, then you'd win this argument."

Neither of them noticed the amused, knowing look on the Emperor's face.

"She's here! The princess is here!" Doc ran into the room and skidded to a halt in front of the table. "Red, Snow is asking for you."

Red shot out of her seat and ran down the hallway before any other word was spoken, bursting into Snow's bedchamber with a wide smile.

"Where is the little princess?" she squealed, darting over to the bed where she saw the purple blanket wrapped around a small bundle.

"She's right here… waiting for her favorite aunt," Snow replied, shifting the bundle a little. A tiny little fist poked out of the blanket in greeting.

"Aww…" she cooed, taking the tiny fist in her hand. "Hello Emma… we've waited a long time for you."

Snow smiled softly and kissed the princess' head. "Nothing will ever tear this family apart, Emma. I promise, we'll always be with you."

* * *

Red understood why Snow was so eager to have this ball. After everything they'd been through with the war with Regina, with the thought of never being able to raise Emma, Red knew Snow as going to take every opportunity she could to do the traditional, royal things.

But Red had never been comfortable around so many people. Even though it wasn't Wolfstime, and she'd managed to tame the other side of her, Red could feel and sense the blood that flowed through all of the guests.

But, she wasn't going to complain. Her best friend was finally happy and settled in to her life. With her daughter.

"Red? What's the matter?" she heard Snow ask from behind her.

She turned to face Snow with a calm smile on her face. "Nothing Snow… why do you ask? This is a happy night."

"Red. I know you're lying to me. You can tell me if you're not happy," she replied with a small smile.

She shook her head. "Don't think I'm not happy, Snow. I am. I'm very happy that you get to have all of this. But you know that I'm… a little uncomfortable in groups this large," Red replied with a small shudder.

Snow frowned in concern. "Red, if you're that uncomfortable, you can step outside, or go be with Emma upstairs. I'm not going to force you to stay in the ballroom."

"Yeah. I'm going to go get some air. Thanks Snow."

Snow smiled and nodded as Charming pulled her in for another dance, Red outside and taking a deep breath of the fresh air.

"You know, we never finished our argument about whose war was harder to fight in," she heard Mulan's voice say from next to her.

Looking over, Ruby could only smile slightly at the other woman. "Why don't we just say that war sucks for anyone having to fight in one, magical enemy or no?" she said with a small laugh.

Mulan gave her a small smile in return. "Deal."

She leaned against the balcony and looked out toward the vast expanse of forest, the small village just near the castle a bustle of people coming and going from the ball. "Do you wonder what that place was like?" she asked curiously.

"What place?"

"The place Regina was going to take us to. The land without magic or whatever it was called."

Mulan frowned. "No. I don't care to think about it at all. Whatever that place was… whatever it is… is not worth the pain of it all."

Red let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "I just can't help but wonder if it could have been a fresh start. It's weird, I know."

"Why can't you get a fresh start here? We all have a new lease on life now that Regina's locked up in that prison," Mulan said, reaching to place a hand on Red's shoulder. "Fresh starts are hard but you certainly don't need to be transported to a new world in order to get them."

The hand on her shoulder was comforting, but it didn't stop Red from saying what was on her mind. "Have you ever had a broken heart before?"

Mulan tensed. "Yes. His name was Shang. We met fighting in the Emperor's war."

"What happened to him?"

"He died."

Red nodded solemnly in understanding. "So did my first love. It was my fault… I killed him."

"I'm sorry. What happened?"

Red sighed and fidgeted. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Mulan the truth – Mulan was the first person she'd connected with since she'd met Snow. " You know I'm a werewolf… and I went out of control. So you can understand why I'd want a fresh start."

Mulan looked at her in horror. "That's awful. I'm so sorry. But a fresh start is one thing… it's another thing to say you want to damn everyone in this world to another. There's always a way to find a fresh start. Why do you think I fight so hard for the emperor?"

Red studied her, curious. She didn't claim to be an expert in human behavior, but there was something in Mulan's eyes. "Are you sure you're making a fresh start and not just blocking out the pain?"

Mulan frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm sorry, it's none of my business but… you just look like you're so concentrated on doing your work for the Emperor that you've never really… processed what happened."

The other woman exhaled slowly. "I don't know. Honestly." I guess I was just so concerned with protecting the Emperor that I never… focused on me. The Huns nearly killed him as well as Shang if I hadn't gotten in the way. I almost didn't stop them in time. If I had cried for just a second longer – "

"Hey," Red murmured, reaching to take Mulan's shoulder. "It's okay. Now is the time to make a fresh start, right? Isn't that what we were just talking about?"

Mulan scoffed through the tears in her eyes as she considered Red's words. "And now you're the one telling me about a fresh start after considering what would have happened had we been cursed to the Land Without Magic."

Red blushed a little, the glow of the lanterns unable to hide the color in her cheeks. "Well… maybe I just needed to meet the right person to talk some sense into me."

The other woman's eyes widened as she took in Red, and she could see a twinkle of something in her eyes. "Would you like to dance, Red?" Mulan asked as a slow waltz began to play.

She nodded with a smile. "Yeah, of course. But I warn you… I don't know how to dance like this."

Mulan laughed. "Don't worry. I don't know how to dance to music in this kingdom either."

Ruby giggled a little as she placed a hand on Mulan's hip, the other in the woman's hand as they slowly began to move to the beat of the music… and the rest of the world melted away.

Neither woman noticed as Snow White and the Emperor stood in the doorway watching as the love blossomed between the werewolf and the warrior.

"I believe that the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of them all," the Emperor said with a small smile as he looked down at the queen.

Snow nodded. "I think that's a beautiful line. And true. You said Mulan lost a love as well?"

"Yes. Li Shang. He was one of my best generals. Mulan's greatest adversity has been herself ever since."

Snow observed the couple for a moment more. "I hope she's overcome that adversity. Shall we give them some privacy?"

The Emperor nodded in agreement, and the two slipped away, leaving the bud of romance to bloom.

But little did any of them know what else had begun to bloom in a far-off realm.


	3. I Wish

"Shh!" the boy hissed as the group pressed against the outer wall of a small cave. It was hard keeping the youngest one quiet (and he really hated that they took him out at all, but it was too dangerous to leave him alone). They'd succeeded in getting this far, only a bit more to go…

The sounds of their followers faded, and they waited one breath, then two, before scrambling up to the small cave they called home.

Exhaling slowly, the leader of the small, rag-tag group of children sank to his knees in relief as the chants and yelping of the Lost Ones echoed in the distance. Finally, they had food to last a few days, and more leaves to make extra blankets for the chill that was starting to settle on Neverland.

Not that Neverland was ever without a cold dampness.

"Everyone okay?" he asked, clearing his throat to clear the nervous tone that had settled in it. The other three nodded as each exhaled in relief that no one had managed to catch them.

Gods, what had he done? He never should have come here. He should have been able to protect them better. Found a way that prevented them from following him to this place. He was a coward. Just like his father had been.

"Bae… are you ready to eat?" Wendy's soft voice came from the crude, table-like stone they used to eat off of.

Baelfire nodded slowly and slipped away from the mouth of the cave. "I'm sorry, you guys. You shouldn't be suffering here with me."

"Bae, we willingly came with you to Neverland. We couldn't let you get hurt by Pan and his army. We knew what we were signing up for," John said. "We promise."

But for Baelfire, that wasn't enough. He was still angry that any of this had to happen at all. If Hook hadn't betrayed him… if he hadn't even broken into the Darling home for food to begin with, none of this would have happened, and Wendy, John and Michael would be living in London with their parents, safe from Pan's harm. Safe from the destruction he caused them.

Maybe it was a family curse. Neither of his parents were exactly… heroes. Maybe he was cursed to not live a great life. Sins of the fathers and all that. Mr. Darling had taught him about that. Maybe this was his punishment for his father's sins. His mother's too.

"Bae? You're awfully quiet tonight," Wendy said softly. "Is everything okay?"

No. Things were very far from okay. But he couldn't let them see that something was terribly wrong with him.

"Yes," he lied as he fiddled with the makeshift fork he was using. "I'm just deep in thought. Sorry."

"It's okay," Wendy said with a small smile. "I imagine we all think to try to keep ourselves somewhat sane."

"Yeah," he said, picking at the meat they'd managed to steal from the Lost Ones.

"Bae?" Michael asked, his voice unnaturally small in the cavern. "Will you tell us the story about the ogres at bed time?"

Bae could only smile at the boy that had become a younger brother to him. "You want to hear about the ogres after everything we went through today?"

Michael nodded. "The ogres aren't real. They can't hurt anyone. Not like Pan."

Baelfire chuckled softly to himself. He hadn't told Michael that the ogres were very much real, and that he'd almost had to fight them if his father hadn't stopped them. The only good thing his father had done with his Dark One powers.

He nodded a little, looking at Michael with a smile. "Alright. I'll tell you the story tonight," he told him, squeezing the boy's shoulder gently. Even if it killed him to do it. It reminded him too much of the past. But Michael and John and Wendy liked it. Perhaps one day he'd tell them the truth about where he'd come from – he knew he couldn't keep it from them for much longer considering how adept he was to living in a forest compared to their cozy, urban, London home.

He shivered as the shouting from the Lost Ones got louder, and they pressed themselves against the wall away from the mouth of the cave. Baelfire wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. They needed to figure out a way out of here. His coconut was okay, but how could he even ensure that the shadow would come back for the Darling children? He couldn't risk losing them again.

But the problem was… he wasn't sure what else he could do in order to make sure all four of them were able to escape from Pan's wrath.

"Something _is_ wrong with you, isn't it?" Wendy suddenly asked.

Bae swore under his breath as he looked up at her guiltily. "Sorry Wendy. Just… thinking about the best place to start the story," he lied.

Wendy's look was almost identical to the one his father gave him when he was caught in a lie, but instead of pressing it, she sighed. "Oh. Of course."

He avoided her gaze for the rest of the dinner, until they were putting Michael to bed.

"Okay Michael. The story of the ogres. Once upon a time in the Enchanted Forest, there was a young boy who lived with his parents in a small village. Their village was under the control of a mean duke, who sent the children of the villagers off to war against the vicious ogres," he began, watching as Michael's face lit up.

He wondered, slightly fearfully, if Pan's influence was growing on the younger boy.

"And then what happened?" Michael asked.

"One day, a girl named Morraine was called to serve in the Duke's Army. She was very frightened, because she had never learned to fight. She did not want to die. And so as she was taken away from her parents and family, she knew she needed to be brave… and she remembered what her mother said about the power of hope. And in the darkest of times she had, when the ogres were right on top of their camp, swinging their clubs and squishing the soldiers between their large, unwashed toes like bugs, roaring with their ogre breath, and blinking, unfeeling with their large, unfocused eyes."

Michael yawned at this point, leaning back against the leaves they'd fastened together for pillows. "Did she escape?"

"Oh yes… Morraine had hope that she would. And one night, a man from her village came to the camp. This man, she had known him as a spinner, appeared with a dagger in his hand. His skin looked like pulled leather, glittering like a crocodile. Morraine was scared – she had heard whispers that he was known as the Dark One now. A man with incredibly dark powers. But instead of harming the children fighting in the war, he drove back the ogres into their territory and sealed them away, never to harm the surrounding villages again."

The Darling children had all fallen asleep at this point, huddled together as they always were. Baelfire had always been the outlier in the family. The poor homeless child Wendy had found stealing bread one day was never going to properly fit in with their family.

Exhaling as quietly as he could, Bae slipped back over to the entrance of the cavern and looked up at the dark Neverland sky. The stars had always fascinated the teenager. He wondered if his father – if he was still alive – was looking at the same stars. Once, he'd dreamed of going up into the sky to get a closer look. Then he'd been grabbed by the shadow and realized he preferred being on the ground.

But that never broke his love for looking at the stars, and as he focused on one, he did something he hadn't dared to do since his life in the Enchanted Forest.

"I wish we could go back to where we belong," he whispered up at the sky, before turning away to go to bed.

"We've waited a long time to hear you say that, Baelfire," a voice whispered.

He whirled around, grasping the small dagger he'd managed to forge out of a rock, before catching sight of the voice and dropping the makeshift weapon. A fairy. This one green.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Tinker Bell. I was banished here for a few years, so I understand how anxious you are to get out. I'll take you back to where you belong. That's what you wished, right?"

Baelfire nodded dumbly. "Wendy! John! Michael! Wake up! We're going home!"

"What? Home?!" Wendy gasped, eyes snapping open and rushing over to Bae and the fairy as her brothers slowly followed suit.

"That's right. If there's anything you want to bring back with you, I suggest you grab it now."

Baelfire couldn't think of anything to grab but the coconut. If nothing else, it would make a cool candle holder. Michael, of course, grabbed his beloved teddy bear.

"Everybody ready?" Tink whispered.

The four children nodded eagerly.

"Okay! Here we go!"

And finally, with a touch of pixie dust, the Darling children were finally free of Neverland.

* * *

"Twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty," Mary Darling counted as she finished her nightly routine. Make sure all the lights were off, make sure the kitchen was spotless, and finally… make sure the window in the nursery was open for her children to return to her.

Blame had been spouting from every direction since the children had disappeared. Some people blamed Balefire – the young boy they'd taken in when they'd discovered Wendy hiding him in their home. Others blamed Wendy for having too many ideas and refusing to conform to the standards of womanhood that was expected of her. Yet others blamed her husband George for being too harsh on the children. But one thing they all agreed on was that the children would never come home.

But Mary chose not to believe any of those things. She believed her children would return soon, and that was why she kept constant vigilance at the window of the nursery.

Slipping into the room, Mary smiled at the sight of Nana, their faithful Saint Bernard laying in her spot. Nana's big eyes gazed up at Mary as she entered the room, and the dog followed her to the large window seat overlooking the London streets. She could see Big Ben in the distance, and a twinkling star just beyond that.

"Oh Nana…" Mary said softly as the dog rested her head on Mary's lap. "I miss them so much."

Nana whined, understandably upset at the situation they were currently in, and Mary reached down to stroke her furry head gently.

"Oh, but I don't blame you at all. You were the best nanny dog George and I could ever ask for. I just… I want to know where they are. If they're okay… when they'll come home…" she sighed, wiping at the corner of her eye with her free hand as tears threatened to fall.

"Mary…" George said softly from the doorway. "It's time to come to bed, darling. Please."

Her husband had become disheveled in the wake of their children's disappearance. He had been trying desperately to keep things together, but Mary could see the façade breaking each day when he came home from work.

"No, George," Mary said. "I do not want to go to bed yet. I only just got here."

"Sitting here isn't going to bring them back… if they ever come back," George said, kneeling next to Nana on the ground. "Sitting here is only going to further upset you."

Mary narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't believe it's possible for me to get more upset when all four of my children are missing."

"Four? Mary – "

"Baelfire is like our fourth child to me."

George exhaled sharply through his nose, and she knew what was coming. "That boy is the reason our children are gone! We should have just sent him off to the nearest orphanage when we found him."

She shook her head, unable to believe that her husband would wish such a fate on someone like Baelfire. "You believe what you want. I will believe what I want. I will be sleeping in here tonight. Goodnight George."

"Mary – "

"I said goodnight."

George sighed, beginning to retreat from the room. "Goodnight Mary."

She turned back to the night sky dotted with the stars, and did something she hadn't done since she was a child.

"I wish I could be with my children again," she whispered desperately to the quiet London streets. She expected nothing, of course. Wishes weren't real – they were just whispers of desperate souls clinging to the hope that they would come true.

Which is what made what happened next so extraordinary.

Mary wasn't sure who saw it first – she or Nana – but the resounding cry of surprise and barking from Nana was enough to get George bursting into the room just as the blue beam of light grew bigger, flying into the room and landing just behind Nana, who continued growling at the woman – oh God, were those _wings_ she had?

" I've heard your wish, Mrs. Darling," she said, looking at the anxious Nana. "My name is Blue. I can take you to your children."

George pulled Mary into his arms as they both stared in alarm at the woman. "You… you know where they are? Where are they?" he asked.

The woman smiled. "They're where they belong. And I'll take you there too."

She must have been dreaming. But dream or not, the thought of being able to see her children again was too much. "Please. Take us there. Nana too."

Nana's fur was still on-end, but they needed their family to be whole – and it wasn't unless Nana was there too."

"Of course," the woman replied with a small smile, and with a wave of her hand, their cozy home in London seemed to melt away, and they were transported to… a forest.

"I – I don't understand. Where are we?" George asked as they took in their new surroundings.

"This is the Enchanted Forest," Blue replied. "Your children are here. I've seen to it."

Mary frowned. "But – why are they here? Why didn't you bring them home to London where they belong?"

Blue shook her head. "Because they – nor you – belong there."

"Your wish was to go to where you belonged, Baelfire, and I granted it to you," a voice said.

"Yes, but I meant London, Tinker Bell. I didn't mean to be brought back here!"

Their children appeared from behind a tree, guided by another fairy – this one green.

"Wendy! John! Michael! Oh, my darlings!" Mary cried, running over to the children and pulling them tight to her. "I knew you'd come back… I knew it. Oh! And Bae… you're here too!"

He nodded slowly, curling into her as the others did, but she could tell something still felt… off with him.

"What's the matter?" she asked, frowning as she looked at him.

"This… this is the Enchanted Forest. This is where I'm from. The place I ran from… Blue, why did you and Tinker Bell send us back here?"

But as they turned to get answers from the fairies, the two had disappeared, and the sound of horses could be heard drawing closer to them.

George straightened his back, staring in the direction the horses were coming from. "Mary, children, get back. I'll handle this," his said gruffly. Mary could hear the persona he used at work beginning to come out and inwardly groaned. George liked to think that made him sound authoritative, but it didn't.

So she too prepared herself to have to intervene. They were in a completely foreign place – they had no idea what sorts of people lived here.

Finally, two horses burst into the clearing. On their backs were two young girls dressed in trousers Mary had never seen women in – and neither could have been much older than Wendy.

"Er… are you guys lost?" the blonde girl asked with a curious tilt of her head. "You don't look at all familiar."

"Yes! We are actually. Do you happen to know where the nearest town is?" George asked, looking up at the girls curiously. "And, er… do you happen to know where we are?"

"This is the Kingdom of Misthaven," the dark-haired girl replied with a tilt of her head. "You guys aren't from around here are you?"

"We're from London. England," she was quick to say before George blew Baelfire's cover. She knew he was frightened of being in this place. She didn't want to be the reason he was brought to harm here.

The girls exchanged looks of confusion, which made Mary's heart sink, the dark-haired girl's eyes narrowing in distrust even without words as the girls had a silent conversation.

Where was this place if they hadn't heard of London?

"We'll take you back to my place," the blonde finally said, beginning to guide her horse further into the woods. "My parents will help you."

"Ah, excellent! An adult we can talk to," George said.

Mary shot him a look before returning her gaze to the girls as they started to follow them deeper into the forest. "Thank you very much."

"Look! A palace!" Wendy gasped as a large fortress came into view. "It looks so much bigger than Buckingham Palace! Is this where you live?!"

The blonde smiled and nodded. "My name is Emma. I'm the Princess of Misthaven."

"The – the princess?" Mary whispered, staring at the girl with wide eyes as the rest of the family stared in shocked silence. "My apologies, your majesty. We must look ill-prepared to visit royalty."

Emma though, waved her hand. "No worries! You guys needed help, and my parents taught me to help those who needed it," she said with a smile. "Mom! Dad! Yue and I are back and we brought some guests!"

Mary's breath was taken away at the couple that entered the room. A king and queen.

"Hello," the queen said with a small smile. "Welcome to our kingdom. I am Queen Snow White, and this is Prince David, my husband."

"H-Hello. We are the Darling family. We've traveled quite a long way."

Queen Snow nodded. "Of course. You must be exhausted. We'll show you all to your rooms."

Mary's legs felt like gelatin as they followed the king and queen up the stairs into the bedroom wing of the castle.

"I hope you'll be comfortable here," Snow said, opening one of the doors. "This will be for the children. The door over there leads to a room for the adults."

Three beds dominated the room, decorated with elegant dressers and paintings.

"Thank you, your majesty," she whispered, lifting Michael into her arms and taking him over to one of the beds. "It's beautiful…"

Snow nodded. "Of course…"

As Mary and George settled in to their own large bed, she exhaled, staring up at the ornate ceiling.

Their family was back together at last.


	4. The Princess and the Lost Boy

Emma hadn't been able to sleep the night before, having tossed and turned throughout most of the night. Their visitors were too fascinating!

Especially the oldest boy in the family. There was something about him that stood out from the rest of the people. He hadn't seemed all that surprised to see the castle, or to see she and Yue when they'd first found them, despite their clothing and the fact that they were on horseback.

And Emma wanted to find out why that was.

She slipped out of her room after brushing her hair and teeth and putting on her favorite blue gown, and made her way to the guest wing, holding her dress up to prevent it from making too much noise as she crept toward the room.

"Emma?"

Damn. Caught.

"Good morning, Aunt Red," Emma said with an innocent smile as she turned to face her mother's best friend, the dress making a swishing sound as it dropped from her hands. "Did you and Aunt Mulan rest well?"

"We did. What are you doing in the guest wing?" It didn't seem like her aunt was buying her innocent act.

"Checking on our guests?" she tried.

Red raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh-huh. Come on Emma, Snow told me all about them. I'm sure they're exhausted. They'll talk to you when they're ready. Let's go get breakfast, yeah?"

Emma's shoulders slumped. "Okay."

Her aunt led her back downstairs to the dining room, where her siblings were already eating with Yue and Aunt Mulan.

"Emma! Is it true you rescued people last night?" Robert asked with wide eyes. "That's what Yue told us."

She laughed softly. "I wouldn't say rescued, but yeah, we found some people and brought them home last night."

"That's so cool Emma. You're like their savior or something!"

Aunt Red and Aunt Mulan froze. They always seemed to freeze at the mention of Emma being the savior. She didn't know why – Queen Regina's curse had failed. It should have been okay to talk about it, she would think.

She didn't understand adults sometimes. But one day, Emma wanted to figure out why it made them so nervous.

"I… wouldn't call myself a savior, Bobby," she said, ruffling her brother's hair in affection. "We just happened to be riding in the area they landed in. Blue and another fairy brought them here, you know. So really, _they_ should be considered their saviors."

"Yeah, but it's cooler to think you're the ones that saved them," the youngest of them, Eva, piped up.

Emma laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I know. But come on, it was just the right place at the right time, that's all. I'm just glad they're safe at all. But I find it odd that Blue would send them here… don't you, Aunt Red? They were wearing odd clothing and they didn't seem to know where they were. What if they're from another realm?"

"A fairy's reasons are their own, Emma. It's wise not to ask too many questions too quickly. Especially once they wake up," Aunt Mulan said. "I'm sure they're all still very confused as to what's happening."

"Okay, but you'll be able to talk to them all you want," Emma said with a frown as she looked at the woman.

"Because I am a highly trained guard, Emma. I have to make sure you all are safe… and that means talking to them and making sure they aren't a threat."

She sighed. "I know, I know…"

Aunt Mulan smiled a little. "Hey. I'm sure you'll find out who they are anyway. You're the princess after all. Going to be the queen one day. You'll need to know the comings and goings of people in your kingdom."

Emma nodded. "I know, Aunt Mulan."

"And part of being a queen is being _patient_. You know that Emma. Your mom's tried to teach you that for years," Aunt Red added.

Their parents walked in just then, and despite Aunt Red's warning, Emma beamed up at them. "What are their names? Where are they from? Why are they here?"

"Emma!" her mother laughed. "We do not have all the answers yet."

"I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see them for another few hours," Aunt Mulan said. "From what Yue told us, they seemed pretty overwhelmed. I'm sure they're still trying to take all of it in if they aren't still sleeping."

Her mother nodded. "I agree."

Being an adult seemed awful to Emma. There was a lot of waiting around and that was so _boring_.

"Mother?" she asked as she finished her breakfast. "May I go out to the barn to see Starlight? I didn't have time to give her a proper brush yesterday when Yue and I got back with our guests."

Her mother looked at the sundial and nodded. "Just don't stay out there too long. You have your archery lesson before lunch."

"I won't! Promise!" Emma said, bouncing out of her seat and practically flying outside to the stables.

Which _just_ so happened to face the guest wing of the castle. By complete coincidence, of course.

Emma gazed up into the windows of the rooms as she grabbed the brush and made her way into the barn. She didn't see any movement at the windows and sighed a little.

Starlight greeted her with a delighted whinny, leaning down so Emma could stroke her.

"Aw, there's a good girl Starlight…" Emma said, stepping into the stall and beginning to give the horse a good brushing, humming under her breath as she watched Wilby Jr. running around the grounds, chasing away the birds that were resting on the ground. Her mother had tried to break the dog of that habit, but Wilby Jr. loved it too much to stop. Her father said it was like he was trying to be a herding dog, but birds didn't herd as well as sheep or cattle.

She shook her head in amusement, singing softly to herself as she continued, before she froze when she heard Wilby Jr. begin to bark, something the dog never really did unless something was horribly wrong.

"Wilby?" she called, setting the brush on the shelf of the stall and running out of the barn to where she found the dog darting toward the woods. "WILBY! WAIT!"

What in the world could have made Wilby run off like that?

Hiking up her skirt, she chased the dog a few feet into the woods, finding him pawing at a tree and gazing into it with a high level of interest.

"What has gotten into you?" Emma asked, following the dog's gaze, squinting up against the bright sunlight and feeling her eyes widen when she noticed the boy in the tree.

The same boy from the family she and Yue had helped rescue the previous night.

"Can you please call off your dog?" he called down, gripping the base of the tree tight, staring down at her.

"Wilby! Come!" she called, hearing the dog whine, but ultimately sit down next to her, eyes still trained on the boy in the tree.

The boy climbed down from the tree, looking a little shaken, but Emma wasn't sure it was from being chased by Wilby or from something else.

"Thank you, Princess Emma," he said, bowing to her.

She nodded, tilting her head. "What are you doing out here? You should be rest – _wait_. Are you trying to run away?"

His gaze dropped to the root next to her. "Maybe."

"But why? Your family is here. Won't they miss you? And besides… you don't know this forest or the dangers inside of it."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "That's where you're wrong, your highness."

"Tell me how I'm wrong," Emma said, barely fighting back a scoff as she looked at him with curiosity.

What a strange boy this was.

"The people in the castle aren't my biological family. They took me in when I ran from my father… but now I'm back here and he'll be able to find me."

Emma looked at him in alarm. "Then that's even more reason to stay here. If your father wishes to bring you harm, running into the forest where he could be sounds like a death wish. We can protect you. We have guards and my parents know how to fight. So do I. I've even been taking magic lessons from one of the greatest wizards in the world. Rumple – "

"Don't finish that word!" the boy cried, reaching to put a hand on her mouth to stop her, his dark eyes wide with fear.

She frowned against his hand, pulling away. "Why are you so afraid of him? Wait… is he the one you ran away from? Is he your _father_?"

The boy's shoulders slumped. "Yes. He is my father."

Emma widened her eyes as realization finally struck. "You're the one he keeps talking about."

"What do you mean?"

She bounced on her toes in excitement, a smile breaking out on her face. "I overheard him talking to Lady Belle about a fire that would return to him. I had no idea what he was talking about until just now. He must have been talking about his _son_ returning to him!"

The boy nodded. "Yes. My name is Baelfire. Who is Lady Belle?"

Emma tilted her head, ceasing to bounce as she frowned at him in confusion. "His wife. Is she not your mother?"

"No… perhaps I will go back to the castle with you, your majesty. Apparently there is much I need to learn about when it comes to the Dark One," Baelfire said, gesturing for them to head back in the direction of the castle.

Emma followed his lead, Wilby Jr. at her heels. "The Dark One? The Dark One's curse was destroyed when I was a little girl."

"What…?"

She nodded, frowning as they made their way through the large gardens. "How long were you gone from the Enchanted Forest?"

"I… I don't know," the boy said. "All I know is when I left he was still the Dark One and the Ogre War had just ended."

"The first one or the second one?"

The boy groaned. "There was another one?"

"First one then," Emma replied as they entered the castle. This was certainly not the way she'd thought finding out about these people would go, but considering she'd found them after the fairies had brought them through portals, well, Emma supposed she shouldn't have been so surprised. "The first Ogre War was three hundred years ago…"

"Bae?" came a call from the woman they'd rescued the night before. "Bae, where are you?"

The boy tensed and looked at her with fear in his eyes. "Please… don't tell them I was running away, and don't tell them about my father yet. I don't want to hurt them."

Emma nodded. "I won't, promise. He's in here with me!" she called.

Hurried footsteps signaled the woman's arrival, dressed in a borrowed gown of her mother's, looking slightly uncomfortable in it. Emma wondered what sorts of clothes they wore back in that London place they were from. After all, those people had been dressed in pajamas when she and Yue had found them.

"Oh! There you are Baelfire! We were so worried about you!" the woman said, running to the boy and hugging him.

"I'm sorry. I was just…"

"He was outside with me. I was showing him our stables," Emma jumped in with a smile. "He didn't want to disturb the rest of you. My apologies for not telling one of my attendants to give you a message." For a princess, a lie _shouldn't_ have come so easily, but it slipped out like it was nothing.

Mrs. Darling relaxed a little, nodding at the reasoning. "Oh, of course, thank you Princess Emma. Your mother was looking for you, by the way. She mentioned something about a lesson?"

Emma nodded. "Yes! My archery lesson! I'll see you later Baelfire!" she said with a smile, running off to meet her mother in the back gardens of the palace grounds.

* * *

Baelfire watched as the princess ran off to her archery lesson. She certainly wasn't like the princesses he had learned about in London, or the princesses he'd known about here before he left. And the knowledge of a second ogre war was not something he'd even considered after the first one had ended. How could humanity have been so foolish as to let it happen again?

He wondered if his father had a hand in ending that one too.

His father. He couldn't believe the man was no longer the Dark One and that Princess Emma was taking magic lessons from him. Actually, he couldn't believe the princess had magic at all. It seemed nothing was the same as it had been when he'd left. Princess Emma was right… he didn't know the forest anymore.

"Baelfire? Are you okay?" Mrs. Darling asked, breaking him from his thoughts. "You're being very quiet."

Bae nodded. "Yes Mrs. Darling, I'm okay. It's just that… the princess was telling me about all of these things that happened in the world since I left and I'm just trying to process it all."

"Oh… come on dear, why don't we talk about it?" Mrs. Darling said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and guiding him in the direction of the dining room. "As a family, of course. We do need some answers about what this place is after all. Snow White is supposed to be a story, not the name of a real queen…"

"I understand, Mrs. Darling. But I don't know how helpful I'll be since apparently it's been three hundred years since I've been here," he told her, his stomach beginning to growl as he sat down next to Wendy at the table and reached for the fresh fruit in the middle of the table. Food from anywhere other than Neverland was a great relief to the boy.

"Good morning. I hope you all rested well," the prince said as he stepped into the room with a smile. "We did not get much of a chance to speak last night, so I hope you don't mind if I ask you some questions."

Mr. and Mrs. Darling shook their heads.

"Of course not, your majesty. We have some questions for you as well… if you don't mind," Mr. Darling said.

"Not at all. So… where exactly is this… London? We have never heard of it and no such place exists in this world."

Baelfire felt his stomach twist in knots when he saw Mr. and Mrs. Darling's confusion. He knew they couldn't very well lie to a prince, so he took a deep breath and knew what he had to do.

"It's in the Land Without Magic, your highness. But Wendy, John, Michael and I have been in Neverland. Tinker Bell saved us while Blue brought Mr. and Mrs. Darling here," Baelfire explained, forcing himself to look at Prince David despite the nerves that were clawing at his insides.

David's eyes widened – and Baelfire realized he'd heard of the Land Without Magic too. "Why would they bring people from the Land Without Magic here?"

"I… I don't know. All Tink said was this was where we belonged," Baelfire said.

"I see. And how do you know about the Land Without Magic?"

Bae set his fork down and straightened his spine as he sat up in his chair, trying in desperation not to appear scared to the monarch. "Because, your majesty, I fled there when I was escaping from the Dark One."

"There hasn't been a Dark One in – "

"Years. I know. I speak the truth, your majesty. And…" Baelfire sighed, knowing everything was going to crumble.

David though, seemed to sense his unease. "You do not have to say any more if you're not comfortable. The man had been a Dark One for three-hundred years. I'm sure there is much in his past that isn't easy to talk about."

"Yes, and what happened between my son and I was one of those things, your majesty."

Bae tensed, going rigid in the chair as he stared over David's shoulder, the complete opposite direction of his father.

"Papa."

"Wait – Baelfire, this is your father?" Mr. Darling asked, frowning. "The man you ran away from?"

"Yes Mr. Darling," Baelfire said. "This is my father, Rumplestiltskin."

"Rumplestiltskin? But that's just a story," the man replied, staring between father and son. "This is impossible."

"Oh no dearie. I'm afraid nothing is impossible in this world. Welcome to the Enchanted Forest. Home of all of those funny little stories you believed us to be."

"I know if your story well enough, Rumplestiltskin. How you taught the miller's daughter how to spin gold from straw and took children away from loving homes. You are not going to take Baelfire from us. We just got our children back."

His father raised an eyebrow. "I will not be taking your children away from you… but Baelfire is my son. I have not seen him in three-hundred years. I will be taking him home when Emma is done with her lesson today."

"You will do no such thing."

Baelfire could see his father's hands twitching at his side with barely concealed rage, and honestly he was surprised his father hadn't turned the man into a snail and stepped on him yet. Maybe he deserved another chance… maybe that's why Blue and Tink sent them here.

"Mr. Darling, it's okay," Baelfire said. "He's right. I haven't seen him in three hundred years. Your family has been wonderful, and I promise I'll come back and visit… but it's time for me to go home."

"Papa!" another voice called.

The tension in the room was broken as a young boy, that couldn't be much older than five year old Michael, came running into the room and straight at his father, who smiled and lifted the boy into his arms.

"Papa?" Baelfire murmured, as a dark-haired woman followed the boy into the room, giving Prince David a wave before looking at the three boys with wide eyes.

His father nodded. "Bae… this is my wife Belle… and your half-brother, Gideon."


	5. Brotherhood

Baelfire could only stare between his father, the woman and the little boy in his father's arms. He had a brother? And his father was married? What the hell sort of world did he fall into? Maybe he needed to get more sleep. Yes, that was it. This all had to be some sort of crazy, messed up dream. And then he'd wake up and he wouldn't be in some insane world.

"Bae?" the man asked quietly, looking at him in concern. "Please say something."

What _did_ one say in a situation like this? It wasn't exactly common for boys to come back after three-hundred years and find out that their immortal father is no longer immortal and re-married with another child. No, this was not what normal situations were made out of.

Instead, the boy took a deep breath as he tried to focus on what was happening. He did need to say something after all. He was just too surprised to think right now.

"Rumple," the woman – Belle – said softly. "I think we should give him some time. Come on. Go get ready for Emma's lesson and I'll take Gideon to play in one of the other rooms."

His father only nodded, quickly heading out of the room with the child – Gideon – in tow.

"I take it Emma didn't mention that part of your father's life?" David asked softly.

Bae dropped into the chair behind him, his legs unable to hold him up any longer. "No. She didn't," he whispered. "Not that I'm angry with her for not but…"

"It's a lot to take in," David finished for him. "Understandable."

Bae nodded, glad that it seemed someone understood what he was feeling right now, before putting his head in his hands and taking a deep breath. Part of him was glad Princess Emma hadn't told him about his new family members. The other part of him wished that he could have been given a warning before having to see his father.

But none of that was Princess Emma's fault, and Baelfire knew that. She and her father both at least respected the fact that he hadn't wanted to talk about his father.

"Mr. and Mrs. Darling," David said, turning to look at the couple. "My wife and I were speaking last night, and we know there are some empty plots of land in the town outside our castle's gates. We could help get you a home built and find jobs. We could use some help in the castle and you could stay here if that's what you wish."

"Us? Really?" Mrs. Darling asked, looking at her husband. "We'll have to seriously discuss what is best for us in terms of jobs, your majesty. But I think we're both in agreement that we would like our own private residence. It might help us adjust to being in this place easier."

David nodded. "Of course. Whatever will help you find your place in this world."

This wasn't like the Duke and his men at all. Baelfire was quite relieved to realize this. He'd known Emma wasn't like the Duke, but her parents were another story. They could have been like anyone. But they were good people. Good rulers. And it was a relief that his second family would find a ruler like this.

"I think I'll introduce Nana to Wilby. Wendy, John, Michael, you're welcome to join me if you want," Baelfire said, standing up and looking at the Darling children. He needed air, and he knew he wouldn't be any help in deciding jobs or housing for his second family anyway.

"Oh… thank you Bae but I'd like to stay here. I'll explore a bit later," Wendy replied with a small smile. John and Michael, naturally, nodded in agreement with their sister.

That was fine with Bae, really. He just needed to get out of here and get some air.

"C'mon Nana, let's go outside," Bae said, rousing the dog from her position by Wendy.

Heading outside with her, Bae took a deep breath of the fresh air as he went over to the barn, where he spotted Wilby chewing on a bone.

"Hey boy! C'mere!" he called quietly, watching as Nana's tail began to wag in excitement. Bae watched in amusement as Wilby woke up and trotted over to Nana, and immediately, the dogs were off playing in the large field.

Bae sat on the grass and smiled as he watched the dogs. He tried to focus on the animals, but he couldn't stop thinking about what he'd learned earlier.

 _Papa had a family while I was gone. He had another son. Another life. And now I'm back here. Am I just going to be in the way if I go with him? I know I said I would but…well, at least he isn't the Dark One anymore. That's something good at least._

 _But still… where do I fit in with them anymore? I'm a boy who was abandoned by his father, found a new family, and then spent time in Neverland. I'm not the same as I was when I left. What if I changed too much and he doesn't want me around? What if I scare the kid – er… what was his name again? Gideon. Right. What if I scare him?_

He sighed and shook his head. Maybe it was a bad idea to go back to live with his father.

"Baelfire, Mary said I'd find you out here," a kind voice said.

He turned around, grateful to be broken out of his thoughts, and found Queen Snow standing behind him, before scrambling to his feet and bowing.

"Your majesty…" he said softly. "How are you?"

The woman smiled. "No need to bow, Baelfire. It makes me feel like I'm above everyone else when I'm not. Do you mind if I join you?"

He felt flustered as he nodded. What could the queen want to do with him?

She sat next to him on the grass, smoothing out her gown carefully. "I heard that you found out the truth about your father. I'm sure it was a lot to take in," she started carefully.

He nodded, picking at the grass in front of him. "Yeah."

"Your father is a good man, Baelfire. He helped David and I more that I can say. Without him, we never would have known how to contain my stepmother and stop a curse that was supposed to have struck," she explained.

"Curse?" Baelfire asked, tilting his head in confusion. "What sort of a curse?"

"It was to take us to a land without magic. We were going to be separated from our friends and loved ones… and from Emma," she replied, shivering. "But your father helped us figure out how to stop her before her curse was going to be cast. Despite what happened in the past… your father has really become a hero. This might seem minor, but he's also done something I didn't think was possible."

He felt rattled at the news of a curse that would have brought them to the Land Without Magic, but he wanted to know what else the woman had to tell him about his father. "What's that?"

She smiled a little as he looked at him. "He made me see that magic isn't inherently evil."

Baelfire blinked in surprise as he looked at the queen. Of all the people to help show her that, it was his father?

"He did?" he asked, tilting his head, although he knew she had no reason to lie to him about that.

She nodded. "I wasn't sent out here by him to try to convince you to follow him. I just thought you'd like to know what he's done for our family and for our kingdom."

"Thank you your majesty," Bae replied. "It… does mean a lot to know what he's done. Normally I heard horrible things about him, and saw them before I left to go live with the Darlings. It's nice to hear good after being away for so long."

Snow smiled. "It's my pleasure to help you. I like to think that this could be a happy beginning for the two of you. And maybe, even if you decide not to go back to stay with your father or if you change your mind about staying with him… it's not always about the ending. But about being together. Your father knows you're alive and where you are, and you know that he is no longer the Dark One. Whatever happens after that…" she trailed off, shrugging, "well that's up to you to decide."

He nodded. "Thank you, your majesty. That's really helpful."

"You're very welcome," she said, standing up and smoothing out her gown. "I'm sorry to rush out on you like this, but I need to attend a meeting with King Thomas."

"Of course your majesty. And thank you again."

She nodded, leaving Baelfire to compose his thoughts further. What she'd told him was really comforting. He supposed he'd just have to see what happened when it came to his decision. Clasping his hands together, he continued to watch the dogs run around and play in the large field.

"Bae!" a small voice called.

He stood, eyes widening when he saw young Gideon running toward him from the castle, and then without warning, the young boy grabbed him around his waist.

"Hi Bae!" the boy giggled as he looked up at him with a wide smile. Bae could see bits and pieces of his father in him… and seeing bits of himself too.

"Er… hi Gideon," he said, awkwardly patting the boy on the back. "Where's your mom?"

"Inside," was all the child said, blinking up at him innocently.

Bae blinked back at him. "Oh. O-kay…" he drawled out. What did he say to this child? He couldn't exactly be rude considering, well, it was rude to be mean to kids, and this kid in particular was his half-brother.

"Gideon! What did I say about running off like that?" Belle finally called after an awkward silence had settled between the two brothers, and Bae couldn't have been happier to hear her voice.

"Hi mommy!" Gideon said with a wide smile, finally letting go of Bae and skipping over to the woman with a giggle.

The brunette smiled and lifted him up into her arms, before she looked at Bae. "I'm sorry, Baelfire. Usually he's much better behaved than this."

"It's okay," Bae said, picking at the grass again awkwardly. "He's fine."

Belle nodded, smiling a little. "Good, I'm glad. Um… Rumple is almost done with the lesson with Princess Emma. I don't know if you wanted to join us back inside or not. I know you mentioned possibly coming back to the castle with us…"

"Yes… I spoke to the queen about whether or not I should."

"Oh. And… what did you decide?"

He took a deep breath as he looked at the woman. "I'm going to give him a chance. Just one more chance."

The woman smiled at him. "You will? Oh that's wonderful. Your father will be so pleased to know that. And Gideon was so excited when he found out his brother was home."

"Home? So – he knew about me before today?" he asked, surprised.

"Well of course he did. Your father's number one goal was to find you… so when Gideon came along we didn't hide the fact that he had an older brother waiting for him," Belle told him. "We could never hide something like that from him."

"Oh… wow. I'm surprised," he replied as he stood up. "I guess I thought maybe he was thinking that I was a secret he had to keep for some reason."

"Your father takes some opening up, but once he did, he told me about you too. We've been waiting for you to come back for thirteen years," the woman said, brushing a piece of hair out of Gideon's face. "We were surprised when we found out we were expanding our family but we knew the family would never be complete until you came back."

Bae blinked. When he'd first seen Gideon, he'd been dismayed, thinking that his father had somehow betrayed him and traded him in for a younger model. Not that they had any choice in deciding if it was going to be a girl or a boy.

"Um… wow, that's really nice."

"All he did in his life was to try to find you, Bae," Belle said with a small smile. "I'm glad we can be a family together now."

"Me too."

"Belle? Gideon? Bae?" his father called, appearing from the castle. "Emma's lesson is over for the day. Are you ready to head home?"

Bae nodded, slowly making his way back toward the castle. "I just want to tell the Darlings goodbye before we leave."

"Take the time you need, son," his father said.

It felt strange, going home with his father. Baelfire had wished for it every day of his separation from him, but as the years had gone on, it had been difficult to keep a hold of it. But now it was here and Baelfire was overwhelmed with everything he'd learned from the king and queen, and from Belle. Having to say goodbye to the Darling family was going to be hard… but something he needed to do.

"Mr. and Mrs. Darling?" he asked, poking his head into the sitting room where the family sat. "I… I just wanted to thank you all for taking me in when you did. It's a kindness that I'll never be able to repay you as long as I live. But I am going to live back with my father and his wife… but I'll visit you all the time and – " he paused, tears prickling at his eyes. "You were all a family to me when I needed it the most." He rubbed his eyes quickly – Mr. Darling had always harped about men not showing emotion.

"Baelfire…" the man said as Mrs. Darling and the kids pulled him into a hug. "You will always be a Darling, no matter where you are or who you're living with. We're always going to be a family."

"Thank you, sir. I'm happy to know that," he said with a smile. "I should go… my dad's waiting for me." He gave one last squeeze to Michael before heading back to join the small family that he'd suddenly acquired.

In a puff of smoke, the four arrived at a palace.

"Papa… where did you get a castle?" Bae asked with a frown.

"From something I'm not proud of looking back on it," his father said, leading him inside and into one of the rooms. "This will be your room, Bae."

At this point, Bae was too overwhelmed to even ask what the details of that deal were, so he simply nodded, following his father into the room, which was bigger than their home was all those years ago. Wandering over to the closet, Baelfire pulled the door open and frowned when he noticed a familiar shape tucked away in the corner.

"You kept it," he said, picking up the ball he'd had when he was younger. "My ball."

"Of course I did. I kept everything you owned, Bae. Because I knew one day I'd find you again."

"Bae?" came Gideon's quiet voice. "Can we play with the ball?"

He looked over at Gideon, who was peeking out from behind Belle's skirt, and smiled softly, nodding. "Sure Gideon. Let's go outside. I'll teach you a game I learned when I was in Neverland."

As he and Gideon ran outside, he didn't notice the tension in his father's forehead, nor did he hear the worried thoughts that curled through the former Dark One's mind.

"Now do you believe Snow when she talks about happy endings?" Belle whispered late that night as they caught Gideon and Baelfire asleep in Baelfire's bed, their younger son clutching the ball to his chest.

"No," Rumplestiltskin replied softly, "but I do believe her when she talks about happy beginnings. And this is ours."


End file.
